Feels Like Fall: But Don't Stash Those T-Shirts Just Yet!
The other day I was having lunch at Bistro 22 in Garden City (Get the flatbread. It's yummy.) with a friend, who somehow always seems to have the best stuff. Tops, jewelry, bags, and shoes that make you wish you'd found them first. **Shakes fist** Her secret? She finds special, transformative pieces at local shops and boutiques, then mixes them back to more basic ones from labels like Everlane, Madewell, J.Crew, or Banana. (And yes, you will be seeing a blog from her in the not-too-distant future.)
One easy way to co-opt my friend's philosophy of dressing for Fall 2015 (Today's the FIRST day btw!), and ramp up your look, is by adding a novelty or slogan tee into your rotation. It's also a relatively inexpensive way, whether you're 29 or 49, to sail thru this transitional time in RI when it might be 50 degrees in the early am and 70+ at noontime. And look frigging A-mazing in the process. Like a boss. Like Julia, in the picture below from the Givenchy Show at NYFW 2015 (I'd be totally lying if I didn't say that pic was one of the inspirations for this post.), or Kate, who after all has managed to turn these tees into one of her signatures.
Take a blazer (Call me a basic b*tch for wearing blazers. I'm over you, but not blazers. Never!) or cardi from last fall that you're probably bored to tears with right now and layer it over your NEW slogan tee. Suddenly, you have something...Something you'll want to wear. Without looking as though you tried too hard. Even though you kind of did. (That's the key to winning at just about everything in life, including the makeup thing, in case you ever wondered. WINK.)
Tee Tips
- Get over to the Frog And Toad on Hope St in PVD for a nice selection of some of the most clever tees. With a definite local slant. Of course, I gravitated to the Cranston ones, but there are plenty of options for those of you who live elsewhere in the Ocean State. (I may have been inspired by Brianna's Cranston blog from last Friday. Click here in case you missed it.) Also, find gifts for those impossible to buy for people on your list at F/T. (I bought an antique Watch Hill pennant for someone who is a definite challenge and he ended up being obsessed with it.)
Shop vintage for one of a kind tees (and accessories) to help set yourself apart from your friends and your frenemies. (Read more about where and how to go retro in RI by clicking here and here.)
Check your husband's, or bf's, closet for well worn ones, but be warned: If the shirts are oversized, your whole look could go from stylin' to sloppy in a flash. Save the big shirts for sleeping or around the house on your days off.
Don't be afraid to customize your shirt by shortening the bottom if it's too long or removing the band at the neck.
The dryer is NOT your friend. Wash your shirts in cold water and if possible, air dry on Huggable Hangers (unless you're trying deliberately to shrink them). Otherwise, those heat settings on your dryer will wear out the fabric much quicker than if you had hung them to dry.
Ciao For Now,
Patty J
Photo Credits: Photos of Julia Roberts at NYFW 2015 and Kate Moss, courtesy of Google Images.